Lauloa Eleele mao

Description:

Kalo or Taro (Colocasia esculenta)Lauloa Eleele mao (Hawaiian variety)Family: AraceaeOahu, Hawaii (Cultivated)Early Hawaiians were often very specific in their descriptions of plants and varieties they encountered or cultivated. This kalo, or taro, foreground, is a classic example of this type of specific description:Lauloa means a "long wave" or "long leaved" in Hawaiian. Eleele is "black" and refers to the purplish-black color of the h (petiole). mao is "green" and refers to the light green edges of the stem. Early Hawaiians use this kalo, and others in this group, for medicinal purposes, primarily in pulmonary disorders. Today, it is used as a table taro and for poi.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/